"Akira" got the official go ahead from Warner Bros. late last month, and reports pegged "Tron Legacy" actor Garrett Hedlund as the front runner for the lead role of Kaneda. Turns out those reports were right on the money.

Twitch reported this morning that WB has made a formal offer to Hedlund to star in director Jaume Collet-Serra's adaptation of the widely adored anime and manga series. Variety corroborates the report, saying that the "Tron" actor is now in negotiations to play the badass biker.

The film version of "Akira" is moving away from Neo Tokyo and instead landing in Neo Manhattan, following "the leader of a biker gang who must save his friend, discovered with potentially destructive psychokinetic abilities, from government medical experiments." That friend, of course, is Tetsuo, a fantastic character deserving of a fantastic actor. Candidates already rumored for the role include "Twilight" vamp Robert Pattinson, "Amazing Spider-Man" star Andrew Garfield, and "X-Men: First Class" actor James McAvoy. I'm not sure that any of those guys are right for the role -- then again, I'm not thoroughly pleased with Hedlund's casting, either, but that's a blog post for another day.

Hedlund is not the only actor attached to "Akira," of course. Recently, former "Harry Potter" rivals Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter were reportedly linked to Collet-Serra's sci-fi flick, allegedly circling the parts of The Colonel and Lady Miyako respectively. No official word on either of those actors' involvement just yet.

What do you think of Hedlund's "Akira" casting? Does his involvement make you more or less excited for the film? Tell us in the comments section and on Twitter!